Moccasin type shoe



Jan. 11, 1966 R. E. WALL 3,228,050

MOCCAS IN TYPE SHOE Filed June 17, 1963 INVENTOR R0561? EWall BY 9 mATTORNEYS United States Patent 5,223,050 MOCCASIN TYPE SHOE Robert E.Wall, 70 Southworth St., Williamstown, Mass. Filed June 17, 1963, Ser.No. 288,404 9 Claims. (Cl. 12142) My invention relates to improvementsin shoes, and has particular reference to those of the moccasin typealthough not limited thereto.

Briefly and generally stated, the invention has for its primary objectto provide, as an article of manufacture, a novel and preferablymoccasin type shoe which is produced by a unique method that results inexteriorly invisible stitching connecting at least certain components ofthe shoe upper.

A particular aim of the invention is to provide a novel dross shoe typeof moccasin which eliminates the outwardly protruding U-form bead orridge at the junction of the top or toe piece with the vamp, and whereinthe stitching connecting these parts is exteriorly concealed.

More specifically the invention contemplates a novel method of moccasinmanufacture which preferably utilizes a single blank to provide thevamp, quarters, counter, and a sole portion and wherein opposed edges ofthe top or toe piece are joined by hand sewn stitches from the innersurface, said stitches going only part way through the thickness of saidparts. Thus, when the counter-providing edges of the blank are connectedand the shoe is turned right side out and lasted, a butted andsubstantially exteriorly invisible toe piece and vamp-connecting seamwill be provided.

Having reference to the preceding paragraph, it is also an object of theinvention to provide an inner toe piece of greater area than thepreviously mentioned outer toe piece so as to overlie the inner surfacestitching which connects the outer toe piece and vamp, means beingprovided to secure the inner toe piece in operative position andconnected to said outer toe piece.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention, as to bothstructure and manufacturing method will be readily understood andappreciated by those versed in the art upon reference to theaccompanying drawing in connection with the detailed descriptionthereof.

It is to be noted, however, that the drawing disclosure should be takenas illustrative rather than limitative as my inventive concept, both asto ultimate structure and method steps, is susceptible of otherexpression within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimedhereinafter.

In the drawing, wherein the same reference characters have been used todesignate the same parts wherever they appear in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a moccasin produced in accordance withand disclosing my invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sole and vamp-providing blank withthe counter-providing edges joined, the view further illustrating theouter toe portion in the process of being hand stitched to a portion ofthe vamp and also showing the inner and outer toe portions connected attheir rear edges;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating positions of thevamp and toe portion of FIG. 2 and the moccasin type hand sewn stitchingconnecting the same;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the stitching of FIG. 3 as goingthrough only a portion of the thicknesses of the toe portion and vamp;and

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters and turning to thecompleted moccasin type shoe shown in FIG. 1, it is seen to comprise theoutersole 4 and the Patented Jan. 11, 1966 upper which is generallydesignated by reference character 5.

Outersole 4 is adhesively or otherwise secured to the insole-providingportion 10 of the blank 6 of FIG. 2. Thus blank 6 in FIG. 2 is showninside out and provides the vamp 7, quarters 8, and a counter 9 inaddition to the aforementioned integral inner sole portion 10. It shouldbe observed that in FIG. 2, the inside-out blank 6 is shown partiallyassembled with toe piece 15 and its liner 16.

As will be apparent from an inspection of FIG. 2, the heel end of blank6, which provides not only a portion of the inner sole 10 but also thecounter 9 of FIG. 1, has the centrally located and forwardly extendingcutout 14 providing the parallel edges 13. The forward end of thiscutout 14 terminates in a slit 14a which ends in the region of the rearpart of the vamp 7 area of the shoe, as indicated. Opposed edges of slot14a are ultimately stitched together as at 12 and the function of cutout14 and slit 14a wiii be presently explained.

While the blank 6 is still inside out as in FIG. 2, itscounter-providing rear end portions 9a,'9a are machine stitched togetherin fiat contact as indicated at 11 in FIG. 2, to provide the counter 9of FIG. 1.

Earlier reference has been made to the inner liner 16 for toe piece 15;and FIGS. 1 and 2 show marginal machine stitching 17 which secures saidliner 16 to the free rear portion of toe piece 15. As suggested in FIG.2 this attachment of liner 16 to toe piece 15 is preferably made beforethe toe piece is specially sewn (18) to the vamp 7. One of the primarypurposes of liner 16 in the finished shoe of FIG. 1 is to marginallyoverlie the toe piece and vamp-connecting stitching 18 and thus protectthe wearers foot against the discomfort of contact therewith.

In carrying out the invention, moccasin type hand stitching 18 isemployed while both blank 6 and toe piece 15 are inside out, asindicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, to join corresponding edge portions of thevamp 7 and outer toe piece 15 in approximate edge-to-edge engagement.FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show that the connecting stitching 18 at the site ofthe exposed inner surfaces of vamp 7 and outer toe piece 15 goes onlythrough part of the thickness of these parts so that when the upper 5 isthereafter turned right side out, as in FIG. 1, the stitching 18 will beentirely concealed and only the neat inconspicuous seam 1801 will show.

When the exteriorly concealed hand stitching 18 of the vamp 7 to toepiece 15 has been completed, with the upper 5 still inside out, andbefore the opposed walls of slit 14 are machine stitched (12) together,the blank and toe piece elements 6, 15 are treated with a softeningliquid which may be ordinary tap Water. This softening treatment is tomake the leather so pliable that the shoe upper 5 can, with thecooperation of the inner sole 10 provided slit 14a and opening 14, bereadily turned right side out as in FIG. 1.

After the last-mentioned operation, the walls of sli-t 14a are stitchedtogether as at 12 and the now right-side-out upper 5 is ready for theusual lasting operation in which the outer sole 4 is attached, etc.

Referring back to the inner sole-provided opening 14 and slot 14a itwill be understood that respective opposed walls of same are free tospread away from one another to facilitate the operation of turning thecompleted upper 5 right side out. However, it is to be understood thatwith some moccasin shapes such as those with a wide toe portion and acounter 9 which is short in a depthwise direction, the blank 6 providedopening 14 and slit 14a can be omitted.

Either before or after the upper 5 has been turned right side out, as inFIG. 1, it will be understood that the liner 16 will be adhesively orotherwise secured to the inner surface of toe piece 15 and adjacentmargins of the vamp 7 so as to overlie the vamp and toe piece-connectingstitching 18 to protect the wearers foot against the discomfort ofcontact therewith,

Also an interior reinforcing strip 20 will preferably be applied toextend rearwardly from the region of the toe piece and vamp junctionabout the upper edge of the latter and the upper edges of the quarters 8and counter 9. Further an inner sole liner 22 will be inserted; and abacking piece 21 applied to the inner surface of counter 9 to interposebetween the wearers heel and the stitching 11 which connects theportions 9a of the counter.

From the foregoing description it is believed that my novelmanufacturing method and resulting moccasin type shoe will be readilyunderstood and appreciated by those versed in the shoe art.

Although it is preferred to attach the liner 16 to the toe piece 15prior to the stitching of the toe piece to the vamp 7, such operationcan be attended to later on and even after the upper has been turnedright side out as in FIG. 1.

Also, the stitching together of the portions 9a, 9a to constitute thecounter 9 can, of course, follow rather than precede the stitching oftoe piece 15 t vamp 7. Then, too, although the stitching of counterportions 9a, 9a together while the upper is inside out, as in FIG. 2, isa great time saver and a novel and highly important step in my method,still said operation could be performed after the upper has been turnedright side out as in FIG. 1.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of making a shoe and particularly one of the moccasin-liketype, which method comprises producing a first blank and a second blankfor assembly to provide a shoe upper, each blank being of shoe uppermaterial of substantial thickness and which material is either highlyflexible or capable of being at least temporarily made so; forming saidfirst blank to provide vamp, inner sole, quarter and counter portions,and wherein its inner sole-providing portion has a forwardly extendingcutout of substantial length opening fom its heel end to laterally spacejoinable counter-providing portions; forming said second blank toconstitute the outer toe portion of the shoe upper; succeeding methodsteps which include marginally connecting the toe-providing second blankand vamp area margins of the first blank by stitching from the innersurfaces of said blanks while the latter are inside out whereby toproduce a shoe upper which will be inside out, all individual stitchesof said stitching being extended only part way through the thicknessesof said blanks, whereby to provide a butted seam; connecting the 'freeends of the counter portions at opposite sides of said solearea-provided gap to thus close the rear end of said sole-provided gap,then turning the thus formed upper right side out, and finallysubjecting same to the lasting operation which involves applying andsecuring an outer sole to the shoe upper.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, andwhich includes the cutting ofa forwardly extending slit in the inner sole-providing portion of saidfirst blank as an extension of said cutout and terminating said slitforwardly of the plane of the counter-providing areas of said firstblank, whereby to facilitate the subsequent step of turning the shoeupper right side out.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, which includes the step ofclosing said slit after the shoe has been turned right sideout.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, and wherein the step ofconnecting the counter-providing portions at opposite sides of the gapin said first blank comprises extending the said portions rearwardly toalign the free ends thereof and then stitching said portions togetheradjacent said free ends to provide the counter portion of the theninside out shoe upper.

5. The method as set forth in claim 2, and wherein the step ofconnecting the counter-providing portions at opposite sides of the gapin said first blank comprises extending the said portions rearwardly toalign the free ends thereof and then stitching said portions togetheradjacent said free ends to provide the counter portion of the theninside out shoe upper.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, and including the step ofapplying a material-softening composition to said blanks prior to thestep of turning said joined blankprovided shoe upper right side out.

7. The method as set forth in claim 2, and including the step ofapplying a material-softening composition to said blanks prior to thestep of turning said joined blank-provided shoe upper right side out.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 and which includes firstly thestep of securing a top reinforcing strip to extend rearwardly fromapproximately the junction of the second blank-provided toe piece ateach side of the interior surface of the shoe upper and about thecounter; and then applying an upstanding Wearers heel protecting stripto the interior surface of the counter to overlie both saidlast-mentioned strip and the junction between the counter-providingportions of said first blank.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, and wherein a superposed innersole liner is inserted into the upper after the latter has been turnedright side out; and wherein in said lasting step, the outer sole isadhesively secured to the outer surface of the inner sole portion ofsaid first blank so that the outer sole-carried adhesive reaches saidliner through said inner sole cutout to help retain said liner in place.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,532,327 4/1925Luppino 112267 X 1,960,803 5/1934 Baumer 112-267 2,050,751 8/1936 Enos3655 2,420,466 5/ 1947 Cordeau 12142 X 2,866,211 12/1958 Herlihy 36112,946,069 7/1960 Bozza 12142 3,076,215 2/1963 Orlando 3657 JORDANFRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING A SHOE AND PARTICULARLY ONE OF THE MOCCASIN-LIKETYPE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES PRODUCING A FIRST BLANK AND A SECOND BLANKFOR ASSEMBLY TO PROVIDE A SHOE UPPER, EACH BLANK BEING OF SHOE UPPERMATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS AND WHICH MATERIAL IS EITHER HIGHLYFLEXIBLE OR CAPABLE OF BEING AT LEAST TEMPORARILY MADE SO; FORMING SAIDFIRST BLANK TO PROVIDE VAMP, INNER SOLE, QUARTER AND COUNTER PORTIONS,AND WHEREIN ITS INNER SOLE-PROVIDING PORTION HAS A FORWARDLY EXTENDINGCUTOUT OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH OPENING FROM ITS HEEL END TO LATERALLYSPACE JOINABLE COUNTER-PROVIDING PORTIONS; FORMING SAID SECOND BLANK TOCONSTITUTE THE OUTER TOE PORTION OF THE SHOE UPPER; SUCCEEDING METHODSTEPS WHICH INCLUDE MARGINALLY CONNECTING THE TOE-PROVIDING SECOND BLANKAND VAMP AREA MARGINS OF THE FIRST BLANK BY STITCHING FROM THE INNERSURFACES OF SAID BLANKS WHILE THE LATTER ARE INSIDE OUT WHEREBY TOPRODUCE A SHOE UPPER WHICH WILL BE INSIDE OUT, ALL INDIVIDUAL STITCHESOF SAID STITCHING BEING EXTENDED ONLY PART WAY THROUGH THE THICKNESSESOF SAID BLANKS, WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A BUTTED SEAM; CONNECTING THE FREEENDS OF THE COUNTER PORTIONS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SOLEAREA-PROVIDED GAP TO THUS CLOSE THE REAR END OF SAID SOLE-PROVIDED GAP,THEN TURNING THE THUS FORMED UPPER RIGHT SIDE OUT, AND FINALLYSUBJECTING SAME TO THE LASTING OPERATION WHICH INVOLVES APPLYING ANDSECURING AN OUTER SOLE TO THE SHOE UPPER.